function showForm(form) {	
        $('#cover').css({
            'display': 'block',
            'opacity': '0.00'
        });

        $('#cover').css('height', $(document).height());
        
        $('#cover').fadeTo(250, 0.75, function() {
            $('#cover_box').css({
                'display': 'block',
                'opacity': '0.00',
                'width': 'auto',
                'backgroundColor': '#777',
                'backgroundImage': 'url(./resources/img/bottom_bg.gif)',
                'textAlign': 'center',
                'color': '#eee'			
            });	
            $('#cover_box').load(form, function () {			

                center("#cover_box");
                          
                $('#cover_box').fadeTo(1, 1.00);

            });
        });
    } // ends function showForm()
    
    function closeForm() {
        $('#cover').css({
            'display': 'none'
        });
        $('#cover_box').css({
            'display': 'none'
        });
    }
    
    /**
     * My jQuery Center Function
     */
    function center(box) {
        $(box).css("left", $(window).width()/2 - $(box).width()/2);
        $(box).css("top", ($(window).height()/2 + $(window).scrollTop()) - $(box).height()/2);
    }
    
    /**
     *  provides a smooth animation of an element toward the center of the viewport
     */
    function move_to_center(box) {
        $(box).animate({
            left: $(window).width()/2 - $(box).width()/2,
            top: ($(window).height()/2 + $(window).scrollTop()) - $(box).height()/2
            }, 275, "linear" );
    }
    
    /**
     *  call center() when window scrolled
     */
    $(window).scroll(function() {
        //center("#cover_box");
        // I like the animation better
        move_to_center("#cover_box");
    });
    
    /**
     *  call center() when window resized
     */
    $(window).resize(function() {
        center("#cover_box");
    });
    
    function nothing() {
        // do nothing
    }